COI C235

Many have returned from the incident, no one were lost, and the missing person who strangely caused the UI notifications to go hay wired have returned. There is bad news though, there were two Enders who are badly injured and were taken to Standing Island. This sums up the reason why the call for help was there. The fail-safe should be working but this young boy has a bad UI won’t work. The reports though are very staggering that there were a lot people wanting to rescue one young boy. It does matter though. This young boy has connection with the Enders after all.

At home, the Shield Student welcomed by his neighbors and his uncle. His reluctant face shows embarrassment for what had happened. It was a miracle that everyone is alive but none of them remembered what happened. Sniper describes in detail to the neighbors

“. . . I don’t know that he was there or somewhere else. It so happened to meet those gang members outside. Crazy how they are outside trying to ambush us. It is strange how they fight only weapons and those martial arts stuff . . .”

The neighbor interrupts him “Now, now, we are just glad he is safe”

“Laugh* Come on, he wants to tell his ghost stories”

“Gulp* Stories!? yeah? Well, that chaos ensues and the boy and his mentor brought back home safely. I mean, really!?”

From what happened, there was a massive dome spread where they were fighting against the rat men. After that, everyone is fine after the realm vanishes. They were trapped in order for the rat men to flee. All of them were caught, and everyone falls asleep inside. No signs of fighting, just trapped and there was no harm at the end. The forest is becoming more dangerous now when the rat men appeared. This made everyone become cautious. But for now, it is the reconstruction they are worried about.

In the news “. . . On other news, the reconstruction project will soon to start next week. Where materials brought from Enders Bridge will be arriving soon as the city will be back better than ever”

The news later shows an interview in Taiyou Industries “The disaster is finally over as the threat inside of the city is subsided. For the materials will be manufactured here, Taiyou Industries. As such as many people think that the city won’t be fully repaired in such a long time. I am sure they are mistaken. The city will be rebuilt for a few months. We are confident with the technology we have both magic and willpower”

The television turned off where the cult leader sits there idling on the screen. No one is around except himself trying to figure what happened at the outskirt. He had sworn the dark green dot gang is up to something, neither his friends nor the adventurers talk about it correctly. A knock from the door and the staff shows a visitor coming in. A man with his face covered. The covered man meets the representative for the first time. When the man removed his mask.

The cult leader stops him “There is no need to show yourself”

The man responds “Right back at ya!”

The cult leader’s face frowned “Don’t you dare”

“Like hell would he bothered to come here to explain what he did. He did what he did because there something they want . . .”

It’s the cult leader’s friend. The man who is with the yakuza. His name hidden keeps him talking like there is no tomorrow.

He continues “. . . Sorry to disappoint you, and I am adding fuel to the fire”

“Shut it. I know what you are going to say. Heh, and I thought this meeting will save a lot of time”

“You said it, I always giving the bad news and I wound up here. Our gang leader listens too well”

The man gives the papers and some photos what the covered man is holding. Small rocks and pebbles, all in different colorful patterns as it metamorphic together into one. The other photo is a video being clipped. The same rock found by the city guild. When put it together, the man confirmed what it is

“Those are the same rocks found in east mountain. However, those rocks the covered man is carrying are fine crafted”

“Fine crafted?”

“Like it was chiseled into small bits. Too small for me to identify it. He didn’t tell me why he wants it. He also causing the trouble to fight in the middle of the outskirt, bringing the rat men horde with them. For what for?”

“I don’t know, I supposed that there is a connection to those people who had ventured before. Do you think it has something to do . . .?”

“Can’t say, can’t even, EVEN say those rocks are. It would be great if we know. Say, That plant of yours. Did it grow nasty?”

“The plant? No, there is no need to know more. We are still studying it”

“You tell me, showing me when the jade behaves like a seed and it grows from the ground. The same seed you keep that is a demon of all places”

“And I thought I was crazy”

“Says to this world. Perhaps, I should be observing them”

The man changes the topic. The cult leader watches him uses his device and shows it to him.

“Are we ready for our suspicion? Back then we were all powerful. Now after many incidents happened with the goblins genocide and also the attacks happened to the west side of the region. Thus, this suspect means anything for us”

The UI shows up, whereas the two shared their info together, and he documented for the past months now. Their heads keep turning and seeing the difference from the past UIs to the recent updated UI. It was a coincidence.

The man asks again “Did the UI suddenly reacts and added some clues for us to be busy with? I am not saying this out of a blue. It is more like another event had happened in this city. If this is a game, we are being balanced along in this world. Now this. You think we already know by now that the UI starts to build up itself while no other geniuses who study this gift to its full potential”

The UI had been updated. Power boosts, combos, and better power level have presented to them. This makes them none the wiser what’s truly going on. Like they are waiting for the next patch to balance them after this new release.

Later, inside the Fuku City’s building. Its central tall tower had more lights turned off than any buildings near it shines brightly. The rooms are filled nothing but storages holding the resources found by the defectors. These resources though can be useful of making exceptional items. The defectors can’t complain, they are glad they returned to the city and regret having doubles. The struggles continue like they have back in their home world. Both the cult leader and the man reach the ground floor, where many gangs welcomed them. Their life is flourishing.

They go to the labs. The room they are looking for is the demons they have stored so far, one and half of them. The large massive sealed door along with many sealed runes, talismans, and many magic seals are all over the door. The cult leader uses his device and calls his staff

“Open the door”

A loud warning sounds erupt the room. It echoes the staff to evacuate the sub floor. All of them walked out to the room with everything on hand as in case they won’t be coming back there. A fire lit on the door removing the seals. It is a matter of time will it spread to the entire building.

The door opens and the man, covered his ears, react to this situation “I thought the first demon was easy enough to seal. That demon cut in half really made you guys built this?”

“Worse than that, the halved demon knows about our powers”

“Knows? You mean you talk to the demon”

“NO, it was the other demon. The name was Code Red Virus. That demon alone sparks a loud tone to the other demon and able to force back its true form”

“True form? I thought demons are supposed to be ugly”

The cult leader smirks “I know, but this world. It starts to make more sense if you study them for what they really are”

They enter the room. It was split half. Two different sides show their unique themes. The dark side where the one is hiding, while the other side looks more ancient like they are in an Egyptian like structure.

The man said “Alright, what happened to this room?”

“Their influence spread, illusion to be exact like they make their own realm. Honestly, the dark side on our left wasn’t to be that way. Until that room appears”

“Precisely” A respond coming from the right side of the room. A voice disfigured in order not to be remembered.

The man said to the right side of the room “You sound a bit off. What kind of demon are you?”

“More like how you people know about me? This room prepared for everything. As if some treacherous side of the room made special counter measure for my, my, I know you’re listening there. It’s been a while to see depraving yourself in your senses”

“Senses?”

He turns to the cult leader “Want to see why?”

The man is curious and what hell will he going to see. He had seen many dark themed visuals from their home world. Seeing them hidden away made him want to see more.

The cult leader sees his expression being all excited. By the snap of his finger, the man sees both demon distance themselves. The demon on the left side shows only its human form. While the other shows hidden in its robes. The demon though was not all hiding in the robe, there is actually no face and all around his body down to his hands and feet are covered with its robe. The essence of mana flows from the hood, releasing lights from it. Raying down without reaching further from its hood, this demon points out to the other demon.

“If you think, I, did it? you are mistaken. This old friend shut all of his senses for me”

The demon in human form shows the obscenest face they never thought possible. If the demon in robe wasn’t the one doing it.

The man guessed “Would you ever believe that demon trying to kill itself? Or just want to shut himself up. Which would you guess, boss?”

The cult leader takes a closer look, he walks forward as they hit by glass wall. The darkness revealed was this room supposed to be. A garden falls corrupted thanks to the other demon to the right.

“I forgot, Oh, this is really bad that a demon wants to tear his entire face”

“And I thought this is going to be scary but this looks like torture, nothing new”

The demon in human form shows blood flowing, bleeding its ears to hear, mouth tore as where the jaw is gone, eyes gutted and only remains in his eye socket are holes, his nose clog to what torn flesh he had on his face trying not to smell, and finally seeing on his back where cut on his neck trying not feel the touch. The taste, smell, touch, see, hear, and even speak are all removed. Just to not let the demon from the other side of the room reached him.

The cult leader remembers “Oh right, that’s why I made preparation before. I was kind of busy on other things”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Other things?! And you think self-torture is possible for a demon have a reason for it”

“I think so”

“In what hell are we anyway?”

The demon in robe, knowing too well he was in halved. It is clear that Mihayara district took the upper torso and the lower half in to Fuku City. For him to shift from one place to another by his own existence, it wasn’t that complicated until someone is already tearing himself apart. The code red virus, never seen each other thanks for its complicated abilities to hide inside their own creation. The coward is next to him, and the coward never been so prepared to do it when they meet. This meeting was becoming lack luster, his legs remember him, and his mind took some time to get to see him again.

It was too late. Acurse is trapped here with the technology all around dared to use the same trick like the lab he was supposed to relax. This time, they are prepared and blocked everything what they truly see. Through their eyes, the reflection of their pupils shows only him in robes spouting hood with lights. This is Code Red’s last thing he must remember in order to keep him tamed. If there are other forms, he might heal his self-torment. A coward truly wants to see him again, like this. Those two though, they have some interest of him. What are they trying to find in this dangerous situation?

The cult leader presents himself to the robe in front of him. Using a different voice to hide himself, Acurse wants to bluff but. There he sees the UI in their research, revealing very little as they start being suspicious.

The cult leader said “We know these powers are gifted by your kind, and such gifts show a string attached to it”

The robe flutters from its cloth moving up to the hood. The lights ray flashes red and yellow, and it flashes in sequence as the demon’s gesture lays his hand on his head. He thinks and remembers the other demons’ tricks.

“This gift you have. Rather, too common of a gift. You’re right, it is very suspicious when you compared to the others”

The man gets annoyed to the demon’s slow answer “Get to the point, we all know this gift is not what we thought. There are huge differences we found out when the people go beyond the tutorial dungeons. Or was there a dungeon at all”

The man mentioned about the dungeon way up north of the forest. Where citizens go there to test their abilities and looting materials needed for the city basic necessities. The both of them know this is fake as the outside where less believable beyond their city.

Acurse sees them already have figured it out. But too far to hit the mark. The demon stares to the faceless virus at the other side. To think he could get away, the coward still fears him and someday he will remember him. Suddenly his existence is being calling out to him. It’s her again, calling him out as she always done. How many failures did she have to do bringing him along just to appease her motives? The sparks of his robe releasing light is unbelievably annoying. Acurse was ignoring it for a bit, now she keeps calling to him again.

“Why would I?” The robe demon starts fading

“You don’t even know why I am speaking when you have only a half of me . . .”

The body fell leaving only the lower half. Fall to the ground leaving them with no possible clue what’s the UI truly came from. Two unresponsive demons right in front of them.

The man turns to the cult leader “Does it happen often?”

“For too long”

“Then why am I here?”

“To make sure you get your side of the investigation”

“Tch! Then you let my partner goes with the man hunt, right?”

“She is your partner, why she needs to go all her way to kill them while she is welcomed to leave this world?”

“Good question, and she didn’t answer it”

“Sigh* let’s leave here”

The room shuts leaving the two demons in their docile state. It wasn’t long for the tormented human demon starts to heal. As his head falls from the wound cut from his back in order not to feel the demon next to him. His senses returned, and sense no demonic presence. The man flashes in the light and starts to recover himself. Every flickering shows his parts of his face coming to his face. Like his flesh moves on its own to reattached his missing face. All connected to the last drop of his fake blood. His eyes opened and growing his eye lids. His sight regains and quickly moves to where he feared to see. The demon is gone.

“Finally!”

A miserable sigh swoops from his mouth trying to calm down and trying to understand what happened here. Hidden in the corner of his dark side of the room, a hidden camera made by him. Well-edited to hide the demon from ever reaching his lens and audio. He plays the video and only focusing the conversation of two people.

“What am I missing out? He said it as they mention about him negatively

“I thought the first demon was easy enough to seal. That demon cut in half really made you guys built this” “Worse than that, the halved demon knows about our powers” “Knows? You mean you talk to the demon” “NO, it was the other demon. The name was Code Red Virus. That demon alone sparks a loud tone to the other demon and able to force back its true form” “True form? I thought demons are supposed to be ugly” “I know, but this world. It starts to make more sense if you study them for what they really are”

The Code Red Virus starts hearing their conversation. “Me and blegh*”

He starts vomiting trying not to bring him back here. It was foolish of him, he thought this new companion will help him escape here, but this is worse than he had imagined. If dared to speak or think about it. He takes his breath, struggling to give himself comfort next close to a monster. Trapped like he is with the beast will easily eating his prey. Lion against a measly pig right next to the corner of the room. The virus has spoken an almost true statement, almost.

“Alright, what happened to this room?” “Their influence spread, illusion to be exact like they make their own realm. Honestly, the dark side on our left wasn’t to be that way. Until that room appears”

“You sound a bit off. What kind of demon are you?”

“Senses?”

“Want to see why?” “Would you ever believe that demon trying to kill itself? Or just want to shut himself up. Which would you guess, boss?”

“I forgot, Oh, this is really bad that a demon wants to tear his entire face” “And I thought this is going to be scary but this looks like torture, nothing new” “Oh right, that’s why I made preparation before. I was kind of busy on other things” “Other things, and you think self-torture is possible for a demon over there to do it” “I think so” “In what hell are we anyway?”

To hear such humans to be this twisted, he starts to remember why he did all those things. There are still people even his own allies’ world had those kinds of people. This makes sense. That’s why the people are all going after their throats. No wonder they can’t even grow on their own. The ally he once knew should’ve known this would happen. They were once human, but never believe to ever go against each other.

“Wait minute, this city won’t be able to kill each other. With the rules in place, why would . . .?”

The virus forgets their old allies and where he is now.

“. . . Of course, there is no way we are in Coston nor Cirtei continent”

“We know these powers are gifted by your kind, and such gifts show a string attached to it”

“Get to the point, we all know this gift is not what we thought. There are huge differences we found out when the people go beyond the tutorial dungeons. Or was there a dungeon at all”

“Does it happen often?” “For too long” “Then why am I here?” “To make sure you get your side of the investigation” “Tch! Then you let my partner goes with the man hunt, right?” “She is your partner, why she needs to go all her way to kill them while she is welcomed to leave?” “Good question, and she didn’t answer it” “Sigh* let’s leave here”

“And so, they are close where my old friend had not yet reach them. How bothersome, to think I was freed later they treated me like an enemy. His message was not ready to give them instructions. But we have problem here” He froze almost trying to turn to see the demon at the other corner. His blankness into space really almost set gaze around where that demon is in the background. Very risky, and most troublesome of them all are the people who summoned to this world.

“Even removed what that monster speaks to them, they seem not giving them the answer. It seems, I have, we have some problem. Did he successfully summon them, but couldn’t reach them? Making me their enemy. Or maybe, just maybe. I think they never meant to help us at all. Grr. Then what are they in for from the start. What is this gift are they talking about? Augh!”

He keeps groaning at the question whereas trapped in this room. Too young to know about the present and forever trapped where his body rooted into the jade seed. His story will not start unless what digital world come to his rescue. If there is any internet at all in this place.

The man returned to his gang, only with the citizens. His partner wasn’t there only a few recognizable errand girls are with him and the rest of gang members. They turn to the girls where his gaze looking at them.

“Kyra! Umf! Our comedian is eyeing at you guys”

“Ugh! Why would he just order you guys instead of us”

The man responds “It is easy since you two are the best choice for infiltrating very sensitive quest”

They ignore him, he continues “Like you did get into Fuku City where in the middle of the strange phenomenon like the gang wars”

Kyra complaints “Because it was the boss who told us”

Everyone jokingly cheers at her. The man shows their positive cheer to them “You hear that! you got words from the boss. Then that means you can talk the boss too”

“What are you guys talking about? I never seen him sharing numbers with anyone else”

“Ok, ok. But I’m not turning back my words how you get through your tour around the South Shore Bay. You clearly get some good info from the others. I mean “others””

The man quoted and it was that time when those two going around doing errands. They thought it was just normal information gathering plus of them doing their own daily chores to get by. Kyra keeps hearing their cheers as she is being drag into the fame. She is kind of a sucker to have it on her name and suddenly brag about what happened.

“Yeah well, chuckle* You would hardly believe me and Umf been doing for the past couple weeks before the siege”

Umf held her mouth and Kyra had forgotten since when that happened. It’s been more than 5 months now and couldn’t remember when that happened. The slight moment of relief made her suspicion grew on the man’s comfortable remarks. The man continues

“Good, like everyone is not useless here. Laugh*”

Everyone laughs, he moves in to the topic “Since everybody is confident since the day, we are getting our lives ruined by a few disasters back and forth. We need to discuss our special gifts”

The people inside the city never had the chance to experience the powers they have. Only people who are leaning to listen are the defectors. A conversation that they rather forget had returned back to the table. Each of every one of them is eager to hear what’s going on.

The man presents with his UI. “If anyone didn’t know remember this notification”

It was the notification of sudden warning. Before, there is no warning about the disaster. Hypocritically, it activates for one single adventurer. Many starts wondering about it.

“Don’t bother getting the idea founding out about that. We need to get to the bottom of this”

The gang member responds with displeased “Are you serious? Maybe that single person is the source of it all”

“I said don’t!”

Umf raises her suspicion “Or maybe that person also be the one who is trying to escape from you guys are saying”

She couldn’t grasp the idea but adding a few words might get them to understand. And they did

“It is still strange, but this makes it more convincing back then”

“This young girl has a point. Although, the rest of you. Are you guys going to take the chance to see the truth?”

“They will!” A strong voice coming from the back. His face is covered and walks into the crowd with his warriors.

The covered man shows himself and throws a bag filled with small rocks. The gang didn’t understand what are those until Umf points them out.

“These are from the social media post. The rocks from east mountain”

The warriors turned to look at each other with confusion and nods eventually that they did know about this. The gang members watch them react from Umf’s reaction and surely this is something will be useful.

The covered man continues “What I have here is a special kind of stones. More to runes and less using magic”

They look at the stone and others tried to touch it. The weight it carries so little but it is hard to pick it up.

“What the actual fuck?”

The man stops him “Mind your mouth, the boss brings here and you . . .”

“Hey? How did pick it up when I can’t . . .”

The man picks a pebble up easily and lands the pebble onto the gang member’s shoulder. He suddenly drops down on the table. Stunned and can’t able to move. The warriors laugh but not the gang members.

The covered man stops them “Is the fun over?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Those stones. These are really what we see in social media”

“I don’t know about that, but it is time for you people to see what they are dealing with”

The covered man picks up the pebble from the gang member’s shoulder “I have a quest for you all. The gang is the only group we have are allowed into the city. My companions are not affirmed by your false identities and other mischievous tactics. If anyone of you people care to take turns to learn the changes of your city. The reward is still your city’s customs”

Others whispers to the side “Really? another pay check”

“They still don’t want us to use their stuff. Come on man, the comedian did get his way with it at Taiyou Industries”

“You forget that he lost the sash by the Enders”

“Shit! And we are supposed be the same as him”

“. . . So, any volunteers”

The gang didn’t give one hand raised. The man was always volunteering one after the other. But this time, he didn’t want to. The dark green dot gang looks at him. He ignores them. Until he glances at the two errand girls. Others follow his stare as peer pressure leans to the two. Kyra stands up in protest.

“You guys! Why us? I don’t see you guys going around the city with some important quests running around”

No one said a thing, and they jokingly summoned their white tint glasses shining to continue the peer pressure. Cornered with such hilarious display, the warriors and the covered man turned to them regardless.

Kyra sees the boss is looking at him. She genuinely feels betrayed and shows no less of her being a gang member and said

“Boss, please! Not us, there are people better than us. With those stones, we might lose it”

The covered man responds “Like you did to the Jade stone”

“But!”

“I trust you since they give resources to you when distributions were held. You two had the most of it”

They both crushed, but Umf didn’t back down “It is because we are among of the few residences have an apartment still standing. The rest lost theirs in the ruins”

The talk continues on until the man mentions to the two girls “I remember earlier Kyra is acting high mighty when they pass through Fuku City. What there is more difficult than the bag of rocks?”

One of the warriors said to him “It is because we are using someone to find a so-called Hitmen. I remember they erase unnecessary troublemakers who commit petty crimes. I remember you and your partner was searching them”

The man raises his eyes “Well I, wait a minute, are those rocks meant for her? Eheh, and I thought she wants to get rid of her targets. The city doesn’t care about them”

The conversation starts to rile up as the quest is instructed and was provided to the woman. The man’s partner and friend to the cult leader. Names hidden by the fear of the demon’s ears. The covered man used this chance to get the stones into use. He waits for them to quarrel one after the other as less and less people are willing to take part in it. Then there is a word reason why

“Then there should be a chance to meet the Perb . . .”

All of the men twitch their faces from that name. All expressions are negative and the women only shows disgusts and ironically grinning behind their disgusted faces.

In order to indirectly finding out the secrets of their enemy. They take a risk to get a few of them to the worse people imaginable. The dark green dot gang is taking the cause-and-effect quest. To see and found out that the UI is being updated, which it leads to the idea the how. The covered man and his warriors have found out from the start and to the end.

The warriors whisper one another “This is a chance for us to know whether this UI belongs to him. If it is, then we can break them free from the influence”